Can Wales Bounce Back?

Wales face the French on Friday in Cardiff needed a win to keep their title hopes alive. The last time Wales invited France to Cardiff on a Friday night in 2010 the French came out on top. The year before when Wales travelled to Paris to play on a Friday night, the French won out again. The common denominator is clear; Wales do not like playing the Friday night games. France particularly like the Friday night fixture as they are used to it with their club rugby. In Wales we are far more used to a Saturday or Sunday game, if the fixture is on a Friday it is far earlier that 8pm.

The Outside-Half Issue

As I have said many times before, I am a big fan of James Hook. However, for most Welsh fans he is the forgotten man until something goes wrong and then they start calling for Hook to come back. He has become the fourth emergency service in Wales with people filling column inches, radio and television time with the James Hook debate. I have also been guilty of this before anyone pulls me up. There is no doubt that Hook is the more traditional 'Welsh 10'. Watching him play it is possible to see shades of Cliff Morgan, Barry John and Phil Bennett, all great outside-halves themselves.

Magnificent Ireland Crush Wales

I hate to say I told you so, but, I did say Wales would have to knock Sexton off his game if they had any chance of winning yesterday. They didn't do this and allowed Sexton to one of his greatest performances in an Ireland jersey. I am not trying to be clever be starting the post-mortem in this way, because Gatland would have known, the players would have known; keep the half-backs quiet. They were not kept quiet Connor Murray and Johnny Sexton had outstanding games.

Game Of The Championship

The biggest game of this years six nations lands in Dublin this weekend as the Welsh come to town. It is always a game which provides many a talking point, and in the last few years this fixture has provided some outstanding clashes. It has thrown up moments that rugby fans will not forget. 2011 was the year of the Mike Phillips try with the wrong ball, 2012, the controversial penalty for Leigh Halfpenny to win the game in the last minute. Last year in the first half we saw how poor Wales can be and then how good they can be in the second half. So who will create the memories this time around?

Growth Of Rugby In The Emerald Isle

The Irish have started this six nations confidently, with a convincing win against Scotland. The Joe Schmidt era has certainly got off to a good start, consistency is what the Irish have lacked in previous years, this is what Schmidt seems to be adding. So now that the present set up is in a good position, it is time to take a look at how Irish rugby got here in the first place.

Strong Start To The Six Nations

This year the six nations began where it ended last year, in Cardiff. With Wales bidding to become the first ever side to win three championships in a row surely the Italy game was a given. Not so, the Italians put up a fight and made it very difficult for the Welsh to play. This led to Wales making mistakes, with Rhys Priestland being turned over several times. Even Leigh Halfpenny was not immune to error; his pass was intercepted by man of the match Campagnaro who ran in his second try on his championship debut. Halfpenny did make amends for his mistake, if it were not for his 13 points Wales would have been on the wrong side of the score board. It was not pretty from Wales, they will know they were poor, but still won 23-15 against a very good Italian side. Is that the sign of champions?

Italy's Long Relationship With Rugby...

Italy will come to Cardiff this Saturday as huge underdogs when they face the double European champions. However, the Italians are improving year on year, and have beaten everyone apart from England since their acceptance into the competition fourteen years ago. They are no longer a team that coaches can 'experiment' against. They will be ready to improve once more this Spring and will target that England scalp.

Rugby is unquestionably on the up in Italy, the demand for the Stadio Flaminio being expanded has seen them move to the Stadio Olimpico. A move that has seen them attract larger crowds than Wales, with 80,000 cramming in to see the All Blacks. For a nation whose national sport is football this is a major feat.